U.N. peacekeepers protest Israeli overflights of Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon reported that “in the course of the past week it has observed a higher number of Israeli air violations over Lebanese airspace,” U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Tuesday. “The U.N. Interim Force has lodged firm protests with the Israeli Defense Force on this matter, asking them to cease the overflights.”

Lebanon also lodged a complaint about the overflights with the U.N. Security Council, according to Reuters.

Israel allegedly launched airstrikes at sites in Syria, targeting long-range missiles sent from Iran for the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah.

The protest over airspace violations came the same day as four U.N. peacekeepers patroling the cease-fire zone between Israel and Syria were captured by Syrian rebels. The four are members of the Philippines battalion; at least 20 Filipino peacekeepers were seized by armed rebels in March.